For literacy consultant Sarah Tantillo, Reading Informational Text (RIT) Standard 2.1 is both essential and easy to learn. Yet she suspects many students well beyond Grade 2 haven’t mastered it. She shares a quick technique to teach this high-leverage skill in middle grades.
Curriculum / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 09/29/2015 · Last modified 12/05/2019
Should the curriculum in a co-teaching classroom setting look different from a typical general education classroom? That’s the most frequently asked question co-teacher coach Elizabeth Stein encounters about inclusive classrooms. The answer? Read on.
Book Reviews / English Language Learners
by MiddleWeb · Published 08/13/2015 · Last modified 11/17/2019
Ivannia Soto guides educators teaching oral language skills and writing in the content areas to integrate CCSS writing goals with strategies that deepen learning among English language learners. Literacy coach Glenda Moyer recommends the book highly.
Children’s writer and systems engineer Robert Black, who is finishing his third mathematical novel for middle schoolers, describes the challenges of making math stories engaging and offers tips for students and teachers interested in the new fiction genre.
Book Reviews / Common Core State Standards
by MiddleWeb · Published 06/11/2015 · Last modified 11/14/2019
A Non-Freaked Out Guide to Teaching the Common Core is a useful supplement to the primary CCSS document. Teachers will benefit from Dave Stuart, Jr.’s thorough analysis of each anchor standard, says reviewer Susan Schwartz, although she does have one concern.
Easy to implement suggestions and detailed reading response lessons make educator Marilyn Pryle’s recent book a helpful addition to the Common Core ELA bookshelf. Reviewer Sandy Wisneski recommends its common-sense resources for modeling, assessing, and practice.
Teachers will see the standards movement differently after finishing Kelly Gallagher’s “In The Best Interest of Students.” Reviewer Beth Morrow expects readers will have a renewed passion for making a difference in students’ lives with best ELA practices.
Teachers who want to combine deep reading of poetry with the joy of discovery will find engaging lessons and activities in Georgia Heard’s Poetry Lessons to Meet the Common Core. Reviewer Linda Biondi praises the book’s strategies to “live with a poem for a week.”
In Advanced Common Core Math Explorations: Numbers & Operations, Jerry Burkhart offers advanced students challenging activities with increasing levels of difficulty. Math teacher Maia Fastabend finds it well suited to high level readers in grades 7-9.
Working to bring America’s Colonial Period to life in the classroom? Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis’ new toolkit will help history teachers engage students with primary sources, digital links and visual guides. “A gold mine!” says reviewer Linda Biondi.
